Portable photographing unit



March 23, 1943. C. WORCESTER 2,314,642

PORTABLE PHOTOGRAPHING UNIT Y Filed June 23, 1941 Charles ,B. Won'esier.

Patented Mar. 23, 1943 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE PHOTOGRAPHING UNIT Charles B. Worcester, RiversidaCalif.

Application June 23, 1941, Serial No. 399,265

4 Claims.

This invention relates to photographing equipment and has for itsprimary object the provision of a novel combination and arrangement of acamera, an adjustable mounting therefor, a seat for the subject, and abase common to the mounting and seat, whereby such component parts willform a rugged, portable, compact and readily workable unit which issubject to adjustment to render it more compact and better suited fortransportation without necessitating disassembling thereof, and adaptedfor repeatedly and quickly taking photographs of uniformcharacteristics, such as used in police work and for identificationcards, motor vehicle operators license, passports, and the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide a portable photographingunit such as hereinbefore described which readily lends itself to aconvenient inclusion therewith of desirable accessory components such asa background panel, electric lamps, trays and the like in a particularassociation with one another and the major elements of the unit tofacilitate use thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide a unit of the characterdescribed having an improved identification card holder arranged tosupport a card containing identifying or desired indicia, at apredetermined point in the photo- 'graphic field to achieve uniformityof position of the identifying matter on the photographs, said supportbeing movable to out-of-the-way position to facilitate transporting theunit A further object of my invention is to provide a unit of thecharacter described wherein a standard, mounted on the base inpredetermined spaced relation to the seat, supports a camera mountingfor rotation about a vertical axis, and said mounting extends laterallyoutwardly from the standard whereby to support a camera in the desiredrelation to the seat-and the mounting and camera may be swung intodifferent positions in an are on a fixed horizontal plane, one of saidpositions providing for photographing a person seated on the seat, otherof said positions affording the taking of partial and full lengthphotographs of persons standing, seated or otherwise positioned atvarious points spaced outwardly from the base, and another of saidpositions disposing the camera and its mounting in out-of-the-wayposition overlying the base to facilitate moving the unit from place toplace.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects andadvantages as may subsequently appear, the invention is carried intoeffect as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a photographing unit embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the unit as when adjusted for storage ortransportation.

Referring to the accompanying drawing more specifically, it is seen thatone embodiment of my invention generally includes an elongatedrectangular base 4, a seat 5- for the subject of photography fixedadjacent one end of the base, a standard 6 fixed adjacent the other endof said base, a substantially L-shaped camera supporting arm or mounting1 having the free end of its horizontal leg connected with the upper endof the standard for rotation about a vertical axis, and a photographiccamera 8 fixed on the upper end of the arm 7 for movement in an are at agiven elevation when the arm is turned about said axis.

It should be noted that when a photograph is to be taken of a subjectseated on the seat 5, the arm is positioned as shown in full lines inFig. 1 whereby the horizontal leg of the arm extends beyond the adjacentend of the base 4 in line therewith to provide a predetermined focus.However, when it is desired to take partial or full length photographs,the subject may stand or be seated at various points spaced outwardlyfrom the base and the arm is swung around to the appropriate position,as for example, as indicated by the dashed lines in Fig. 1 whereby todispose the camera in line with the subject. When the unit is to bestored or transported or it is desired to place the arm I and camera 8in an out-of-the-way position the arm 1 is swung into position shown inFig. 3 wherein the arm and camera lie directly above the base.

As here provided, the standard 5 has a pintle 9 on its upper end onwhich is rotatably mounted one leg of an elbow fitting ID. The free endof the horizontal leg of the arm 1 is fitted into the other leg of theelbow l0 and welded or otherwise fixed thereto so that the other leg ofsaid arm stands upright in outwardly spaced relation to the standard 6.

A set screw II on the elbow I ll is adapted to cooperate withdepressions [2 in the pintle 9 for holding the arm in the threepositions as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This set screw will also hold the.camera. mounting in. any position throughout the range of movementpermitted the mounting.

Fixed as by welding or otherwise to the upper end of the elbow I is acircular plate l3 serving as a shelf. A brace rod 14 is fixed to saidplate and the upper end of the rod 1 respectively to lend rigidity toand strengthen the camera supporting structure, The camera is removablyheld in a fixed position on the arm by means of a clamp I5 or the likebut it is apparent that the camera can be turned on said arm if desired.The camera 8 when removed from the arm 1, or another camera, may berested on the plate for photographing purposes. It is noted that thisplate may also be utilized as a shelf for supporting photographicaccessories.

An upright holder l6 for an identification card H or the like is mountedon the outer end of a straight bar l8 slidably supported in guides l9fixed on the lower face of the plate l3 whereby the card may be disposedat a fixed point in front of the subject of photography and may ifdesired appear at the same point in each photograph. As the plate I3turns with the arm 1 it is seen that the card holder is moved with itand will always be in fixed relation to the camera. When the unit iscollapsed into smaller compass, as shown in Fig. 3, the bar I8 isretracted to extend over the base alongside the horizontal leg of thearm I, thus disposing the holder and card in an out-of-the-way position.The slide bar l8 also facilitates positioning the card or ob-. ject inthe holder 16 which is to be photographed in different positions asdesired to suit the particular subject or photographic result desired. Astop pin 26 on the end of the bar opposite the holder supporting endthereof is disposed to engage the plate l3 to limit the movement of thebar as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As here provided the seat 5 is supported on a vertically adjustablescrew shank 2| threadedly supported in a standard 22 fixed on the base4, thus providing for raising or lowering the seat to suit theparticular subject and the photographic effect desired.

A sectional upright background supporting standard 23 is fixed at itslower end to the base 4 rearwardly of the seat and may be connected tothe seat standard 22 by means of a horizontal bar section 24. Thisconnection of the standard 22 with the seat braces the seat and thestandard and also lends desired rigidity to the unit as a whole.

Near the upper end of the standard 23 is a rearwardly projecting arm 25which at its outer end is connected to and supports a background panel26. The upper end portion of the standard is curved forwardly as at 21and supports a head rest 28, as shown in Fig. 1.

Electric lamps 29 and 39 are mounted on the arm 25 and the upper side ofthe camera respectively for illuminating the background and subjectrespectively. In this connection it should be noted that the standards 6and 23, also the arms 1 and 25 and plate 13 may be conveniently used assupports for shelves, trays and other accessories not shown.

It is important to note that my improved unit may be readily and easilymoved from place to place and transported in compact form and may bequickly and easily prepared for use when set on a floor or othersuitable supporting surface, by extending the camera and associatedparts into position shown in Fig. 1 or otherwise as desired. Animportant feature of the unit is that once adjusted as desired it willprovide for uniformity of the photographs and permit of the making acomparatively large number of photographs in a short space of time. Thearrangement of the component parts of the unit renders it compact sothat it takes up little space, is simple as to construction,comparatively light and inexpensive.

It should be noted that the standards and the mounting hereof may be oftubular construction to facilitate the leading of the electricalconductors to the lights.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention Ido not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth, andthe invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents ofthe parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purviewof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a portable photographing unit, a base, a seat mounted on saidbase, a standard mounted on said base in fixed spaced relation to saidseat, a camera, a mounting for said camera rotatably supported on saidstandard for movement from a position extending outwardly from said baseand with the camera likewise extended into an out-of-the-way position inwhich the mounting and camera lie over the base between the seat andstandard and vice versa, a card holder, a bar for supporting said holderbetween the camera and a subject of photography and within thephotographic range of the camera, and means slidably supporting said baron said mounting so that said bar and holder will be moved with theturning of the mounting on the standard, and the holder may be movedtowards and away from said standard.

2. In a portable photographing unit, a portable elongated base, a seatfor a subject of photography mounted on said base, a standard mounted onsaid base in fixed spaced relation to said seat, a camera, a mountingfor said camera rotatably supported on said standard for movement from aposition extending outwardly from one end of said base and with thecamera likewise extended, into an out-of-the way position in which themounting and camera lie over the base between the seat and standard andvice versa, said mount ing including a horizontal member rotatablymounted at one end on the standard for extension outwardly from said endof said base and adapted to lie over andin alignment with said base, andan upright member on the other end of said horizontal member and onwhich the camera is mounted.

3. In a portable photographing unit, a base, a seat mounted on saidbase, a standard mounted on said base in fixed spaced relation to saidseat, a camera, a mounting for said camera rotatably supported on saidstandard for movement from a position extending outwardly from said baseand with the camera likewise extended into an out-of-the-way position inwhich the mounting and camera lie over the base between the seat andstandard and vice versa, a plate mounted on said mounting at a pointover the standard to serve as a shelf, a horizontal bar slidablysupported on said plat and extending from the standard in the oppositedirection to said mounting, and a holder for a card or the like to bephotographed, mounted on said bar and movable towards and away from saidstandard upon sliding the bar relative to said plate.

4. In an elongated portable photographing unit, a base, a standardthereon, a member r0- tatable on the upper end of said standard, acamera mounting having a leg fixed at one end to said member and adaptedto be extended o-utwardly from said standard and beyond margins of saidbase, a leg extending upright from the outer end of the first named leg,a camera mounted on the upper end of said upright leg, means on therotatable member for releasably looking it against rotation on saidstandard, another standard in aligned and spaced relation to the firststandard, a background panel supported by second standard, a seat for asubject of photography, fixed on the base between said standards, and arigid connection between said seat and said second standard forsupporting said second standard.

CHARLES B. WORCESTER.

